2. amps-preamps
  3. 161062-152187

Budget Tube Preamp ($2000)

Hello guys,
First post here!

I am in the market for a tube preamplifier for my current system, to add a bit of warmth. My budget is under $2000, the cheaper the better, Mainly looking at the used market (I love great deals). 
My build currently:
- Monitor Audio Silver 300 speakers
- Project Debut Carbon Turntable
- Marantz Cd5005 CD player
- Cambridge Audio Azur 851N
- Rotel RB 1582 Mkii Power Amp

If you guys have suggestions, I appreciate it a lot! For the inputs, if the preamp has XLR that would be great as I'm currently running my Azur 851N to my amp through a balanced connection and it sounds pretty good. This is not completely necessary though. 

Thanks!


128x128saltboy
jkf011
291 posts
 
I can't believe no one has mentioned a used Conrad Johnson. The gold standard in tube preamps. 
iseland's avatar
iseland
136 posts
 
+ 1 ls25 mk1 
Bought one a year ago, around 2k and it still gives me goose bumps !!!!
wolf_garcia
6,696 posts
 
My Freya (original version bought new a few years ago) isn't now and has never been sensitive to microphonics...a myth from some critics that's clearly nonsense. The tubes can be rolled among all the brands available and, although finding a bad tube is possible, I haven't found a single one among the many NOS and new tubes I've stuck in the preamp...my current quad of NOS GEs has held up for a long time and sound spectacular, are clear and clean and utterly non microphonic.
jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
@wolf garcia

My Freya (original version bought new a few years ago) isn’t now and has never been sensitive to microphonics...a myth from some critics that’s clearly nonsense.


i am admittedly not a critic... at least not a professional one :) ... just a user, and my experience with a freya plus is as i reported - ran EH 6SN7’s, quite microphonic, substituted old stock sylvania’s, became less so, but still a minor issue, could never get the unit to be silent with tube damper rings, herbies etc etc

i am glad you had better luck with this model
wolf_garcia
6,696 posts
 
You think the preamp is responsible for microphonic tubes? Was the Freya + you supposedly owned also noisy in the other two non tube modes? Did you call Schiit about it? Again, nonsense.
More to discover